Chasing Spirituality
It is in our nature to seek religion. This natural desire is not necessarily beneficial. It seems too often that we want to find an environment where we can feel that our lives mean something. Religion is an answer to many who seek fulfillment. But this fulfillment is temporary. Last year I tore my ACL and meniscus in my knee. I had the choice to have surgery on it for a second time or live with the disabled leg. The pain could be taken care of with painkillers so my life wouldn’t be miserable. But I would be living with a false sense of security. Maybe I would feel like I could play a game of basketball or take a jog but if I were to place weight on the leg it would definitely give out on me. This is how religion works. It gives us a sense of satisfaction and belonging but it doesn’t answer the real problem.
It is also in our nature to seek spirituality. We want to experience something that might make us feel that we’ve reached beyond this physical world of pain and suffering. We want relief from reality. We want goose bumps so we can know that something really happened. It is very popular in our society to say we are a “spiritual person” and we experience spiritual things. But sometimes these experiences are not so good. Sometimes I turn on the faucet and place my hands under running water and for a split second I feel that the water is extremely cold. I quickly realize that the water is actually extremely hot and I burn myself. The feeling confuses my mind and then reality sets in. That is the danger of these spiritual experiences.
Religion and spirituality are not bad things but when used improperly they can be very dangerous. So what should we seek then? The answer is truth. When we seek truth our religion will turn into a relationship and our spiritual experiences will have meaning beyond a good feeling. If we want real fulfillment and meaning out of life we can look to God’s Word and ask Him to give us the desires (or His desires) of our heart.
It is also in our nature to seek spirituality. We want to experience something that might make us feel that we’ve reached beyond this physical world of pain and suffering. We want relief from reality. We want goose bumps so we can know that something really happened. It is very popular in our society to say we are a “spiritual person” and we experience spiritual things. But sometimes these experiences are not so good. Sometimes I turn on the faucet and place my hands under running water and for a split second I feel that the water is extremely cold. I quickly realize that the water is actually extremely hot and I burn myself. The feeling confuses my mind and then reality sets in. That is the danger of these spiritual experiences.
Religion and spirituality are not bad things but when used improperly they can be very dangerous. So what should we seek then? The answer is truth. When we seek truth our religion will turn into a relationship and our spiritual experiences will have meaning beyond a good feeling. If we want real fulfillment and meaning out of life we can look to God’s Word and ask Him to give us the desires (or His desires) of our heart.
posted by Ernie Morales at
12:00 PM
1 Comments:
Ernie,
What you said about seeking the truth is very good. When you rely on an experience to get you through life, you come away with a changing foundation. It's like trying to drink a cup of coffee on a surfboard. But when you rely on the truth to sustain you, it won't let you down. The truth remains the same regardless of your feelings or circumstance. So, its easy to drink deeply.
Shelley
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